Spring suspension for vehicles.



W E1 BASTMAN.

SPRING SUSPENSON FOR VEHGLES. AFPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1910.

Patented Get. 3l, 1911.

morne??y LCE XVILLIAM EVERARD EASTMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. A

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

i ,comme Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Oct. 31,' i911.

Application filed July 14. 1910.V Serial No. 572,053.

To all whom lit may concern:

Be itr known that I, VILLIAM E. EAST- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Snltolk and State ot lt'lassaehusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Suspensions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in spring suspension for vehicles, and it particularly applies to the support otl the. vehicle braily under minimum and maximum loads.

The purposes of niy improvements are, 1irst,to provide means to actuate the springs to sustain equipollentiy any imposed weight not exceeding the structural capacity; second. to secure by said lmeans a stable equilibrium. of the carriage body; third, to secure an extended frame supporting base without changing;` the position of the axles; fourth, to obviate an?T semi-rotative action ot the axle casing and in other specific coinbinations and arrangement of parts hereinat'ter described and dened ir the claims.

My in'aproved construction is further explained through reference to the annexed drawing forming .tion` in which:

,lfigure l, is a side elevation of a gear driver vehicle embodying my improvements. denotes a plan of' the rearward and unilerside portion of the traine adjacent to the rear axle. Fig 3, is an elevation oit the interior side el the end ot' the frame with its bracket. Fig. et, designates a plan of 'the same. Fig. 5, is a transverse section on broken line 5 ot Fig. l Fig. G, exhibits in perspective the tentures shown in 3, t and Fig. denotes a perspective of the rear axle sleeve or casing. Fig. S, is a like view of the adjusting bolt. Fig. f), a fragmentary part ot Fig. l partially in section disclosing the bar anchorages to the fore axle, and the attaching knuckle joints ot the staiulards, i

`orresponding characters designate similar features throughout the several views, referring to whichl, denotes the vehicle traine, and Q the integral dropped brackets forming the tei-ininals thereof. Said brackets 2 are each provided with a turn block 3, its supporting journal -t having a screw threaded bearing 5 (Fig. 4) of lesser circumference to torni an annular shoulder tor the nut G as it is a part of this specificaturned up there against when finally positioned onthegnner face ot the bracket 2,

thus permitting a slight circumferential unand therein revolub'ly. confined by then-set screw 10. The screw threaded end of said bolt 8 engages with the semi-rotatable block ll ymounted in the bifurcated oscillating pendent lever l2 inovably attached to the traine l by thc triple shouldered journal bolt 13 screw engaged with said traine, and

passing therethrough to provide a bearing from `its second shoulder to receive the spring anchor block lll which is4 contined thereon by the primary and secondary nuts 15--16- Said block '1,4 is provided with a longitudinal groove 17, internally flaring and approximately its length, the groove being open at the end. remote from the outer side of the frame for the purpose of receiving the Wedge block 1S, forming an integral end of the spiral spring 1.() which, after seating in the anchor block l-t retained by the nuts l5-16 as previously stated, while the set bolt 22 secures the block from axial rotation on its bearing. The above described elements are Jfor the purpose ol securing and renewing the resiliency of the elastic elements supporting the carriage body. i

The spring extension is supported in the socketed arin 2l of the axle casing 24, and therein confined by the set bolt 23 (F 2). Said axle casing 2%(Fig. 7) is cast in duplicate, or may be in one piece with suitable proiisien for access. Said casing is provid d with lugs Q5 extending from the side opposite said arinvl'and pierced to receive and Asecure by Cotter pins 2G, the inward ends 27 of the triangular brace frames 2S. The outward end 29' is biforked to receive the screw threaded jclip 30 having a shoulder "3l u'hich-abuts against' the inside ot the traine bracket 2, and is screw engaged therewitl and secured by mits The purpose oli said brace frames 28 is to impart' stability tothe axles and to restrain their tendency to horizontal and transverse motion thereby lessening the friction of the col-relative parts, and avoiding the employment of radial rods. A housing 33 integral 8 provided with a eircutnf driving gears, the sections'being united by a series ot draw bolts 3d con'ipress'ing the gasket so as to form a dust excluding cover for the gearing. A rod 3G is screw engaged to said housing 33 and may form a sleeve for the gear shaft 37 united to the transmission shaft 38 by` universal sliding joints 39, the end of said rod 36 adjacent the center of the vehicle'body being suspended by the movable de'pnding standard 40 scoured by knuckle joint tothe traine. A correspondingly suspended rod or tubing 41 forwardly connects with the tore axle to hold .the lsame in'alinement with the rear a'xle, the rod 86 contributing to the stability of the rear axle equipment said rods' unitretaining both axles' at right angles with the frame and through the standards forming a union therewith.y

The manner of recuperat-ing the exhausted tension o my 'improved frame spring is as follows: 'lvo the head of the adjusting bolt 8 is applied a suitable Wrench (Fig. l) rotating thelbolt slightly, thus oscillating the lever l2 through its turn block l1, which actuates the block 14 in a manner to expand the spiral 19 thus renewing the resiliency ol the springs to support the carriage body with substantially an equal resistance for miiimum and maximum Weight to be carrie Minor changes obviously may be made in the precise details of construction and exact arrangements of parts et my improved invention, l therefore desire not to restrict myself to the specific embodiments herein shown for the purpose of illustration, and

l claiml. ln an improved spring suspension for vehicles a body supporting trame having retlexed terminals at the ends thereohturn blocks movably supported therein and provided with an adjusting screw bolt, a semirotatable block mounted on said bolt, a pendant lever connected to said rotatable block and means actuated by the lever to removably retain the outward ends of said spring susl'icnsion.

2. lnan improved elastic suspension Jfor vehicles a supporting frame having contiguous to the ends thereof attached oscillatory levers, shouldered journals upholding said levers, a spring anchor block thereon supported and having means for the temporary retainment of the elastic elements and means attached to said frame to actuate said levers signature,

the rear axle l in a manner to increase or diminish the tension oi the elastic members to sustain niinimum and maximum imposed weight with an equal resisting force.

In elastic supports for a vehicle, body the combinatior 'vith a traindli-aving'inte'- gi'al brackets ot turn blocks mounted there in, scrciv engaged adjusting bolts movably retained in said blocks, semi-rotatable members engaging said bolts, oscillatory pendant levers thereto attached and provided with means for the iinpermanent confinement of the spirals and means tor the temporary anchorage of the elastic support extensions to the axle sleeves.

el. ln an improved vehicle body supporting frame a series oli elastic elements comprising spirals having integral Wedge blocks, anchor blocks provided with means tor impcrmanent reception olf said wedge blocks, pendant levers actuating the anchor blocks and means upheld by the `trame brackets to operate said levers in a manner to increase 4the tension of said elastic elements.

5. The combination with the Jframe of elastic supports for a vehicle body having terminals adapted to engage With tension re storing devices comprising spring anchor blocks providedivitli grooves, triple shouldered journal bolts forming axial bearings for said blocks, oscillating levers depending therefrom and means secured to the trame brackets to control said levers to increase the tension of said elastic su ports.

G. ln an elastically suspen ed vehicle body frame the combination with brace rods hav ing means for their engagement with said frame, axle sleeves provided with lugs for their engagement With said brace rods, of a rod communicating with said sleeves and having a movable support at its opposite end and means connecting said support with said frame.

7. In an elastically suspended vehicle body trame the combination with triangular brace rods having means for their attachment to said frame and to the axle sleeve, of a rod attached to and extending trom the fore axle rearwardly, a movable standard sus pending said rod standard to the vehicle frame.

ln testimony whereof I have aflixed my in presence of two Witnesses. WM. Pil/'ERARD EASTMAN'.

`Witnesscsz CHARLEs B. Sermons, Gro. W. GAULKINS.

and means supporting they ien 

